


Red in Tooth and Claw

by allweneedofhell



Category: Legacies (TV 2018), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Sire Bond, Smut, bad bitches only, dark josie 2.0, heretic Josie, hope is 19 and josie is 18 in this, no humanity hope
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:55:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25287919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allweneedofhell/pseuds/allweneedofhell
Summary: The only emotion Hope Mikaelson felt since turning her humanity off was pure desire. The tribrid had Josie backed against a wall in a hidden corner of the Salvatore library-not caring that she knocked several books off their shelves with the force of her push. She didn’t give a shit about much these days, but her feelings for Josie-at least the lust she felt whenever the brunette walked into the room-remained.orthe one where Hope turns off her humanity and Josie follows suit.
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 32
Kudos: 270





	1. Chapter 1

“Holy fuck,  _ Hope.”  _

The only emotion Hope Mikaelson felt since turning her humanity off was pure desire. The tribrid had Josie backed against a wall in a hidden corner of the Salvatore library-not caring that she knocked several books off their shelves with the force of her push. She didn’t give a shit about much these days, but her feelings for Josie-at least the lust she felt whenever the brunette walked into the room-remained. 

“When you suggested we get something to eat, I didn’t know you meant  _ me.”  _ Josie gasped as Hope continued to attack her neck, letting her fangs leave bite marks from collarbone to ear. 

“No one’s as delicious as you, babygirl.” Hope grinned, letting her eyes drift from Josie's darkened pupils to her bruised, plump lips. She would never get over the way Josie’s eyes turned black whenever she walked into a room, and how she let her eyes drift all over Hope’s body. Before Hope turned, she would be a blushing mess under Josie’s gaze. Now, she had a newfound confidence that came with being a full tribrid (or maybe it was because she couldn’t care less what people thought about her anymore). No more angst, no more sorrow, just relishing in the fact that she was a vampire after all these years. 

And so was Josie. 

The world’s first tribrid and hybrid couple ruling over Salvatore School. 

…

It hadn’t always been easy navigating their newfound power. When Hope turned, her savior complex got dialed up to a hundred and she found herself being more reckless than before. On the other hand, Josie had been a crying mess for the first month, unable to contain her emotions, constantly leaning on Hope for support. And who was Hope to deny her? Her love for Josie had only become more intense. 

“Ugh, I HATE HER!” Josie stormed into Hope’s room, slamming the door behind her with a quick flick of her wrist. 

“And who would that be, babe?” Hope looked over the cover of her book with an amused look on her face. She was researching the whole vampire thing with an ancient text that Alaric had given her- Vampirism in Relationships. She had rolled her eyes when he had shoved it in her hands after a particularly grueling training session (for him, Hope’s strength was quickly becoming too taxing on his fragile human body). But really, the book was fascinating, and was helping her with a lot of the troubles that came with a new relationship when both parties involved had heightened emotions. 

“Lizze, DUH!” Josie huffed, sitting on the edge of the tribrid’s bed. Honestly, it was hard for Hope to keep track of who was pissing Josie off-it seemed to shift everyday. From her typical troubles with Lizzie, to hating MG for making a tasteless joke, and finally, Josie’s enemy number one, Alyssa Chang. The witch had always been a complete bitch, but normally, Josie had been able to roll her countless insults off her shoulders and walk away. Now, the slightest remark set her off. One time, a simple “heretic bitch” caused Josie to want to turn Alyssa into a pile of ash and thankfully, Hope had been there to stop it. 

“Hmm, okay.” Hope put her book down, scooching up the bed to press her chest into Josie’s back, resting her head softly on her girlfriend’s shoulder. “What did she do?” 

“She thinks we are spending too much time together.” Josie sighed softly, letting herself relax in Hope’s embrace. Ever since she turned, the tribrid was seemingly the only one that could calm her down and help her escape her own tumultuous headspace. “And that I don’t have a mind of my own anymore.”

“What?” Hope was offended by the mere idea that Lizzie thought she was changing Josie. Especially since Josie had struggled with codependency before-the last thing she wanted was for that to shift over to their relationship. “What do you mean?”

“She thinks that I’ll do anything you say. Which isn’t true!” Josie crossed her arms over her chest, pouting adorably. “We just have similar morals. Of course, we are going to agree on a lot.” 

“Exactly, babe. Don’t let her get to you.” Hope wrapped her arms around her girlfriend, pushing a nagging thought to the back of her mind as she looked upon the book thrown carelessly on her pillow. She had skimmed through the chapters before diving in, and one subject had immediately captured her attention. 

_ The sire bond. _

But that couldn’t be true. It was extremely rare and Josie was right. They just had similar morals. If Hope told Josie to jump off Wickery bridge, she wouldn’t. 

Would she?

“Hope?” Josie shifted so that she was facing the tribrid, her brows furrowed in concern. 

“Shit, sorry.” Hope shook her head, all thoughts of the sire bond to shrinking back into her subconscious. “Can I do anything to take your mind off of it?” Hope smirked, letting her fingers run over the endlessly smooth expanse of Josie’s thighs. 

Josie giggled, a blush taking over her delicate features. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Hope teased, gently pushing her girlfriend back onto the bed. 

“Hope, I can’t. I have class in ten minutes.” Josie whined, her eyes telling a different story, darkening as soon as Hope climbed on top of her. 

“That’s plenty of time.” She nuzzled into Josie’s neck, smiling smugly at the hitch of breath that accompanied her light kisses to the brunette’s pulse point. 

“Ugh, you’re so annoying.” Josie complained, while wrapping her legs around Hope’s waist, drawing her closer. 

Josie found herself regretting those words later, when Hope was in between her legs, bringing her so close to release before pulling back, reveling in the noises and whines slipping past Josie’s lips. 

…

They spent their evenings racing through the woods. Sometimes, Hope preferred being in wolf form and the astounding freedom that came with bounding through the brush on all fours. Most of the time, she was testing out her new super speed right besides her girlfriend, chuckling smugly when they reached their makeshift finish line. 

“Not FAIR, cheater!” Josie protested, leaning her back up against a nearby tree. “You got a head start!”

“Only because you’re getting faster than me.” Hope leaned up, placing a quick kiss on her girlfriend’s cheek. 

“Maybe I’ve always been faster. We’ve never raced before this, you know.” 

“Eh, I’ve seen your skills at the annual flag football game. Not very impressive.” Josie reached out to shove Hope’s shoulder, putting a hand over her heart to fake offense. 

“Mhmm, remember when you  _ faked _ an injury to get out of playing?” Josie raised an eyebrow, challenging the shorter girl. 

“I was pretending to be normal, thank you very much. At least I didn’t break someone’s arm.” Josie’s face fell and Hope quickly realized her mistake. “Hey...I’m sorry. I know you don’t like to think about that.” The days the brunette spent as “Dark Josie” were some of the worst of her life-she completely lost her sense of self. Not only that, but she scared off half of her peers-some  _ still _ wouldn’t meet her eyes in the halls, even a year later. Hope had been there for her in the aftermath, as she was one of the only ones that stood up to Josie-a huge feat considering the taller girl had tried to impale her on a stake. Hope’s support during that rough time brought them closer than they had ever been before, leading to their now near perfect relationship. 

“It’s okay. I just-I can’t believe I did that.” Josie studied the ground beneath her, unable to meet Hope’s gaze. 

“That’s not you, Jo. You’re the sweetest person I’ve ever met.” She stroked Josie’s cheek, smiling when she saw her girlfriend soften and crane her head to get more contact. “Even when you are threatening to set Alyssa Chang on fire.” Josie began to laugh hysterically-the sound music to Hope’s ears. Her giggle was contagious and the tribrid soon found herself laughing just as hard as her girlfriend, trying hard to catch her breath. 

Everything seemed perfect. She had Josie and Josie had her. Being a vampire would be a breeze, as long as they had each other. 

And then Alaric Saltzman died. And their whole world was turned upside down. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW//GORE IN RELATION TO GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF DEATH  
> TW//THROWING UP

The events surrounding the death of Alaric Saltzman were strange, to say the least. Hope should’ve saw it coming, the warning signs were all there. From Jade’s jealous leering whenever she saw Josie and Hope together, to the mysterious disappearances around Mystic Falls-the bodies found completely ravaged. However, she didn’t connect the dots until it was already too late. 

Hope was the one to discover the body-a sight she would never forget. She woke up in Josie’s arms to an urgent text from Alaric:  _ Come to my office, NOW _ , and shot out of bed, quickly pulling on a pair of sweats and shooting a longing glance in Josie’s direction. The brunette just looked so peaceful when she was asleep. 

Utilizing her newly acquired super-speed, she was at the doors to Alaric’s office in seconds. Hope pushed them open forcefully, only to drop to her knees a second later, bile threatening to spill from her throat. 

Alaric’s torso was upright in his desk chair, his head nowhere to be found. Blood was splattered all around the office, gore covering his leather bound books and precious artifacts he had spent years collecting. Hope tried to scream, but her voice failed her as shock took over, completely freezing her in place. 

And then, she heard a bone chilling chuckle from behind her. “Looking for something?” The familiar voice asked, standing in front of Hope, whose eyes were fixated on the floor. With a dull thud, Alaric’s head was dropped before her, staring at her with a listless gaze. Hope couldn’t control it anymore and threw up violently onto the ground before her, fighting to catch her breath. The familiar voice found this amusing, and continued to laugh, bending down until they were eye level with the tribrid.

“Jade?” Hope choked out, her stomach threatening to spill its contents all over again. “What, h-how-”

“This sad excuse for a man ruined my life, remember?” Jade scoffed, kicking Alaric’s head to the side carelessly. “I was stuck in that fucking prison world for ten years and given nothing but a weak apology. He left us down there to  _ die.” _

“B-but you came back. It’s been a year, Jade. Why now, why him?” Hope cried out, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. 

“Because. You know how shitty it felt, to have the only person that cared for me when I got out, ripped away from me by a fucking  _ Mikaelson?!”  _

“Josie.” 

“Yes. Your precious Josie. She was my ONLY friend when I got out of there, and then you came around and took her from me.” 

“Then why not go after me?” Hope felt her eyes growing golden, as the shock began to wear away and the rage set in. 

“I can’t kill a tribrid. Even with my humanity off, I couldn’t bring myself to be so reckless.” Jade moved around the room, dragging her fingers over the blood caking the desk and bringing them to her lips. “And sweet Josie. Well, she may  _ look _ delicious, but something inside of me just wouldn’t let me. And this man? Well, he ruined my life, and I knew his death would ruin both of yours.” 

The last thing Hope remembered was the golden haze surrounding Jade’s face and the bitter yet sweet taste of the ripper’s blood on her tongue. 

…

The funeral was a bleak affair. Most of the planning fell in Hope’s lap, considering the twins were an absolute disaster. Lizzie had completely shut down, spending most days in her bed, only talking when Caroline called. On the other hand, Josie spent every waking moment crying until she could no longer, passing out in her sister’s bed or in Hope’s arms. 

Meanwhile, Hope just felt...numb. The tears just wouldn’t come. She stared in the mirror before the funeral, willing herself to cry, to show any emotion. Alaric had become a father figure in her life, so his death should have affected her. Hope ended up punching the mirror instead, spending the hours before the funeral picking the glass out of her knuckles-at least she could still feel some pain. 

Hope walked over to the twins’ room as slowly as possible-she absolutely hated seeing them this distraught. But Caroline’s flight was landing any minute and she would be damned if she let their mom see them like this. 

“Josie…Lizzie?” Hope knocked softly on the door before letting herself in. Their room was a mess-clothes littering the floor and discarded tissues surrounding their beds. Lizzie was still catatonic, gazing at the ceiling with a blank expression. 

“Lizzie, c’mon. The funeral starts soon.” Josie sniffled, cheeks raw from crying. “Please, I need you!” She shook her sister, who just brushed the brunette off, turning away from her. “Hope, can you help?” Josie whined, grabbing a handful of tissues from an almost empty box. 

“Lizzie. Your mom will be here soon. Seriously, you’ve gotta get up.” Hope urged, sitting down on the edge of the blonde’s bed. “I know it’s hard, trust me. But we are all here for you.”

“There’s no point.” Lizzie mumbled. “Mom’s just going to leave for Europe again after the funeral is over.” 

“She won’t.” Josie said in between sobs. “She’s going to stay here, take over the role of headmaster for a while, remember?”

“Huh?” Lizzie questioned, turning over to face her twin. 

“Yes. She told us a few days ago.” 

“I don’t remember…” Lizzie’s lip quivered, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. 

“Hey, that’s okay.” Hope reassured her, going over to Lizzie’s closet to find a dress for her to wear. “It’s been rough on everyone. Let’s get you dressed.” 

Josie and Hope carefully made Lizzie look presentable-her bed ridden state had caused her to lose weight, and Hope felt as if she might snap if she touched her too harshly. She did the best to cover the heavy bags underneath her eyes as Josie ran a brush through her matted blonde hair, sniffling all the while. 

They walked beside her to the main hall, Lizzie gripping onto both of their arms as tight as she could. Students shuffled past them, throwing sympathetic looks in their direction, some offering their condolences. Lizzie nodded, muttering a soft ‘thank you’ under her breath. Tears continued to stream down Josie’s face, painting her cheeks pink, as she wiped them away with the sleeve of her dress. Caroline was waiting for them near the great oak doors, arms outstretched. Lizzie ran into them, burying herself in her mother’s shoulder as the older blonde ran gentle fingers down her daughter’s back. Josie waited patiently by Hope’s side, clutching onto Hope’s hand firmly as if she was afraid the older girl would disappear if she relented. 

“Jo.” Hope ran her fingers over the brunette’s knuckles and wiped away a stray tear with her other hand, letting her fingers linger on Josie’s cheek. “It’s going to be okay... _ you’ll _ be okay. Be strong for Lizzie. I’ve never seen her like this.” 

Josie straightened herself out, brushing away one last tear before they completely stopped forming in the corners of her eyes. It was as if Hope had commanded her to stop crying. Josie’s posture immediately changed from meek and despondent to powerful and almost... _ confident _ . Hope’s words caused her to actually-

_ Be strong. _

The tribrid shook her head, ridding herself of the thoughts of the cursed sire bond.  _ Not now.  _ She couldn’t think about it, couldn’t even conceptualize the fact that Josie could be sired to her. If that was the case, then was their relationship even real? Or was the brunette just following after Hope’s every word because  _ she had to? _

“Hope?” Caroline questioned, standing in front of the tribrid with a concerned look. “You alright?”

“Yeah. Just...thinking.”

“Thank you so much for being there for my girls. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Caroline put a hand on Hope’s shoulder, bringing her in for a hug. “How have you been holding up?” She questioned, lowering her voice. “I know you and Alaric were close, and Josie tells me you were the one that found him-” 

“I’m fine, thank you.” Hope felt the bile rising up in her throat at the mention of her former headmaster’s name. Flashes of the blood coating the walls in his office ran through her mind-she raised her hand to massage her temples, willing the images to just  _ disappear.  _ But no matter how hard she tried, the nightmares were there. She had barely gotten a wink of sleep in days. 

“Well, I’m here for you. Anything for Klaus’ daughter.” Caroline smiled, her eyes growing glossy at the mention of Hope’s father’s name. “Let’s go find our seats, shall we?” 

Hope drifted through the funeral as if she was in a dream-the words meaningless to her ears. Students came and went, sharing their experiences with the former headmaster. Finally, it was the twins’ turn, and Josie led Lizzie to the podium, still not faltering into her former state of sadness. 

Josie began her eulogy-she had spent several days carefully writing it, littering her room with crumpled up drafts. The brunette had a protective arm around Lizzie, as the blonde’s lip began to tremble, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. 

Hope tried her best to pay attention, straining her eyes to concentrate on Josie’s mouth-it was moving, but the words just couldn’t reach the tribrid’s ears. All she could hear was Alaric’s name repeating over and over in her head, like some sort of fucked up mantra. She glanced around wildly, trying to concentrate on something else,  _ anything else,  _ but her eyes kept focusing on the picture of the former headmaster, surrounded by brilliantly colored flowers. 

Except she didn’t see the smiling portrait that appeared to everyone else. All she could see was Alaric’s horribly swollen head on the floor, staring at her with dead eyes and a stiff grimace. She closed her eyes, willing the images to go away, but all she saw was  _ blood _ . 

_ Red walls coated with gore.  _

_ Jade’s sinister smile.  _

_ The flash of fear in the ripper’s eyes before Hope bit into her neck over and over… _

Hope had blacked out-the last thing she had remembered was pouncing on Jade, letting her wildest instincts take over. But the images were now swarming in her head- how she had sunk her fangs into the ripper’s flesh, marveling in her deafening screams as venom flowed into Jade’s blood, how horrified she had been once she realized Jade’s head was no longer attached to her neck, making her no better than the ripper. She had disposed of the body with a quick fire spell in the forest, letting the heat wash over her body. Not even Josie had known what she’d done. Hope had told her that Jade vanished after the murder, not wanting her girlfriend to know the details of the horrific event. 

Hope began shaking in her seat, a wave of nausea washing over her. She felt extremely dizzy and the room began to swim around her as she sat up abruptly. Josie immediately paused, furrowing her brow in worry. Hope rushed out of the room, ignoring the concerned looks and Caroline’s desperate calls. The world was a blur around her, and even though her stomach was churning, she couldn’t stop herself. She was miles away before she came to a halt, resting her head on the cool bark of a tree. 

Before Hope realized what was happening, she was sobbing, heaving, her legs giving out underneath her. She was gasping for air, hopelessly trying to shove her emotions down, to hold it together. But it was all  _ too much.  _

“Hope? Baby?” Josie appeared in flash besides her, wrapping the tribrid in her arms. “What happened back there?”

“I-I killed her, Jo. Jade. I fucking bit her head off.” Everything was blurry in Hope’s eyes, but she could have sworn she saw a look of horror pass across Josie’s features. “I don’t know what came over me, I don’t know who I am anymore…”

“She deserved it, after what she did. You did nothing-” 

“Stop it. Just fucking STOP IT.” Hope roared, watching as Josie bit her lip at the harsh words. “I’m a monster, okay? The daughter of Klaus Mikaelson is a monster. Huge shocker.” Her eyes scanned wildly over Josie’s face, looking for a reaction,  _ anything,  _ and then she realized. Josie wasn’t talking because Hope had  _ commanded her not to.  _ “I fucking knew it. I didn’t want it to be true but...you’re sired to me, Jo.” 

Josie opened her mouth then quickly closed it, her eyes becoming panicked. 

“You can talk now.” Hope said quietly.

“What do you mean?” Josie questioned. “There’s no way...that’s like... _ super _ rare.”

“But not impossible.” Hope began, the strength in her legs finally coming back as she paced the forest floor. “It’s like that book said-”

“What book?”

“The one your dad gave me. Vampirism in Relationships. You had my blood in your system when you turned. And we were dating beforehand. It all makes sense. You do  _ whatever  _ I say. Lizzie was right.”

“But, it shouldn’t matter.” Josie countered, rushing to Hope’s side. “We’re in love.”

“You only love me because of this stupid fucking bond, Josie.” Hope felt her stomach drop and leaned against the tree to gain her balance. “It’s not  _ real.” _

Josie’s bottom lip trembled-she looked as if her heart had shattered in her chest. “You don’t mean that.”

“I love you so much, Josie. But the only reason you have deep feelings for me is because you are sired to me. Can’t you see it?” 

“No, Hope. You’re wrong.” The brunette stepped forward, placing her hands on Hope’s waist and drawing the tribrid closer. “I’ve loved you since I was thirteen. I never stopped. And I never will.” She brought one hand to Hope’s chin, forcing the shorter girl to look her in the eyes. “Do you hear me, Hope Mikaelson?  _ I love you.”  _

“I-” Hope wanted to respond, wanted to bring her lips to Josie’s and kiss her until the sun set and the darkness enveloped them. She wanted to forget everything she read, everything about the sire bond, but she just...couldn’t. “I need to be alone.”

“I’m not leaving you like this, you hear me? Not in the forest.” 

“I said...leave me alone.” Hope growled through clenched teeth. Her chest felt tight, constricted, as she watched the pain in Josie’s eyes. It was all too much, too overwhelming. There was a long pause, it seemed to last an eternity as the air buzzed around them, until-

“Fine.” Josie snapped before disappearing into the greenery. All the air left Hope’s lungs as she fell to her knees, letting a wave of grief wash over her. She hadn’t felt this sense of despair since her parents died, but now it was magnified. She felt helpless as she clutched the ground beneath her, screaming as loud as she could. Emotions flooded through her and the sorrow was quickly overcome by rage. Hope was disgusted with herself-for letting Josie go, for not being there to protect Alaric, for murdering Jade in cold blood. She punched a nearby tree with all her might, watching as it cracked in half and fell to the forest floor with a loud thud. Hope did it time and time again, creating a large clearing around her. The sun began to filter through-she had half a mind to take off her daylight ring, to burst into flames and turn into ash, ending it all. And then she remembered-just like sunlight would kill her, being a vampire bestowed her with other...gifts. 

Like her humanity. With a flip of a switch, she could simply  _ turn it off.  _ She wouldn’t have to feel any of this agonizing pain anymore. 

So, Hope Mikaelson did just that, strutting out of the forest with a wicked smile on her face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> who is ready for no humanity hope???
> 
> i know this chapter was hella bloody, but that is just the nature of this fic, so don't expect it to stop anytime soon. 
> 
> please let me know what you thought ? :)


	3. Chapter 3

Blood trickled down the corners of Hope’s mouth, blending in with her vibrant red lipstick, her signature color these days. She wiped it off with her thumb, sucking it in between her fangs, not letting a single drop of the delicious liquid go to waste. 

The woman in front of her was staggering about, delirious from the loss of blood. Hope didn’t let her get far, zooming in front of her and placing a steadying arm on her shoulder before she completely toppled over. 

“Where are you going, love?” She questioned, a smirk forming on her lips. “Love” had always been her father’s signature pet name-he used it almost as a taunt, which is exactly what Hope was doing now.  _ Teasing. Torturing. _ “We aren’t done yet...Katie? Or was it Kaitlen?” She had honestly forgotten the woman’s name, lost in her whiskey haze and bloodlust. They had met at the Mystic Grill-Hope was looking for someone vulnerable. She found her target easily, when she noticed a pretty blonde drowning her sorrows at the bar. Hope pretended to listen to her complain about her ex boyfriend, and how he cheated, all while laying on the Mikaelson charm. So when she asked the woman to go on a walk, it seemed innocent enough. That was before Hope lured her into a dark alley, compelling her victim when she got nervous and started asking questions.

_ ‘They always start to ask questions before they die.’  _ Hope thought as she sunk her teeth into supple flesh, almost groaning with pleasure when she pierced the jugular vein, blood spurting out wildly. 

The woman mumbled the correct name under her breath.  _ Kayla.  _ Hope chuckled-she was way off. 

“Eh, names don’t matter. You’re just my midnight snack anyways.” Hope’s phone vibrated in her pocket and she huffed in annoyance, wanting no interruptions. She looked at the caller ID and saw Josie’s name, framed by cheesy heart emojis. “As much as I wanted to savor this, I guess I’d better make it quick.”

The woman’s screams became trapped in her throat as Hope drained every ounce of blood from her body. 

…

“Where were you?” Josie questioned as she sat cross-legged on her bed, sucking on a blood bag. “It’s almost one in the morning.”

“Just...out.” Hope dodged the question, falling back on the bed so that her auburn hair laid across Josie’s lap. “You’re cute when you’re worried.” She reached up and bopped her girlfriend’s nose.

“Don’t change the subject.” Josie swatted the tribrid’s hand away. “Where. were. you?”

“Fine.” Hope sighed, sitting up to face Josie. “I was feeding.” 

“God damn it!” Josie cursed, flinging the now empty blood bag to the side. “Again?! Hope, if my mom finds out, I swear-“ 

“What? She’s a vampire, Jo. She  _ gets  _ it.” Hope said casually. It had been like this every night this week. She feeds off some miserable human at the Mystic Grill, she disposes of the body, and then she gets the third degree from Josie the second she gets back. Honestly, the brunette had taken to the fact she had turned her humanity off well, as Hope still seemed interested in her. What she didn’t like however was that her girlfriend was using the citizens of Mystic Falls as her own personal buffet. 

“She wouldn’t get your nightly rampages. She could kick you out!” Josie cried, giving Hope a look of exasperation. “I raided the damn hospital to get you some real blood, since you wouldn’t take any of the stuff the school supplies!”

“You mean Diet Blood. Bunny blood?” Hope laughed. “Honestly, I’m not sure why your mom didn’t just toss the stuff. She of all people should understand.” 

“I got you the real stuff, Hope.” Josie crossed her arms in front of her chest, pouting. Hope may have not given much of a thought to anything these days, but she still thought Josie looked absolutely adorable when she was irritated. 

“And I’ve told you babe,” Hope began, crawling up her girlfriend’s body until they were face to face. “It’s better from the vein.” 

Josie soon forgot why she was irritated in the first place, as her huffs of annoyance quickly turned into moans.

…

Josie found herself in the kitchen late the next night, rummaging through the cabinets. Hope  _ still  _ wasn’t back from her nightly savagery, and the brunette was anxious. Anxiety led to stress eating and well, that’s how she ended up with one hand stuffed in a bag of potato chips, and the other shoveling a chocolate chip cookie into her mouth. 

None of it satisfied her. She moved onto the fridge, pulling out a bag of bunny blood. She finished three before she realized that nothing was hitting the spot. The hole in her stomach only grew bigger with each passing day, gnawing away at her. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, deep down, Josie knew why she was never full. She craved human blood-it was just in her nature. 

And that absolutely terrified her. She’s heard the stories-tales of Stefan Salvatore becoming the Ripper of Monterey after falling victim to his bloodlust due to his brother’s terrible influence over him. Hell, even MG  _ killed _ Landon after losing control. 

Josie wasn’t one hundred percent sure that she was a ripper, but it still haunted her. The animal blood kept her in check, kept her dark side at bay. She was terrified of what Hope was capable of, yet something inside of her screamed out that she would be  _ even worse.  _

She shuddered at the thought. Jade was a ripper and Jade completely decapitated her father. She couldn’t be capable of something that horrific. 

Could she?

Feeling completely at a loss, she left the kitchen, remnants of her late night raid littering the counter. 

She had to find her girlfriend.  _ Now. _

… 

Hope was  _ bored.  _ The two victims she decided to latch onto tonight filled the air of the Mystic Grill with their excruciatingly boring drivel. But she was just so hungry; she thought it was best to go for a couple. Two for the price of one. 

Chuckling softly at her own lame joke, Hope took the final swig of her whiskey, before slamming the glass down on the counter with a loud thud. The couple next to her jumped, startled. At least she had learned not to break the glass completely this time. 

“So, you two want to get out of here or what?” She questioned impatiently, as the couple exchanged a knowing look. They both definitely thought they were in for a threesome, but Hope had other plans for them.

Like draining them empty behind the smelly dumpsters. But they didn’t have to know that. 

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and sure enough, it was Josie. Midnight on the dot, right on time as always. 

_ where r u?  _

_ the grill. be home soon. _

“Now...where were we?”

…

Josie stood outside the grill, peering in the windows, only seeing blackness. It was closed. Of course, it was past midnight, but she was more shocked that Hope would lie to her. Ever since she found out her girlfriend turned her humanity off, she was concerned, and rightfully so-a vampire without their humanity was one of the most dangerous things this town could face. But Hope had promised her that she would be careful, that she wouldn’t get too out of hand. Josie wanted to believe her, and she  _ did,  _ but part of her subconscious kept nagging at her, telling her that Hope would get out of control if she wasn’t diligently watching. 

She looked down at her phone, prepared to dial Hope’s number, and chew her out for lying. 

And then she heard it. 

The low cries, the whimpers, the  _ slurping  _ noises. 

Josie raced towards the alley, jaw dropping at the sight she faced as soon as she rounded the corner. Her girlfriend had a woman pinned against the brick wall, one hand gripped around her throat, while the other hand held a man in place, as she drained the blood from his neck. 

“Hope…” Josie felt breathless, her words coming out raspy. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“Ah, babe!” Hope dropped the woman, letting her lifeless body fall to the cement. She barely lifted her lips from the man’s neck, chin glistening with blood. “Threesome.” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, giving Josie a look at her crimson-stained teeth. “Wanna join?”

“Jesus. You’ve gotten completely out of hand!” Josie bellowed, running her hands through her hair. She stepped forward, ready to give Hope a piece of her mind, when her nostrils became  _ completely _ overwhelmed by the smell of blood, forming a puddle on the ground. Veins protruded from the skin under her eyes, now completely bloodshot. She winced as her fangs grew in her mouth, as they poked obnoxiously at her bottom lip. “Fuck. I-I can’t be here right now.”

“Wait!” Hope called out after her as Josie turned on her heels to leave. The tribrid rushed out in front of her, stopping her girlfriend with a gentle hand to her shoulder. “Don’t go.” Hope pleaded. “C’mon, Jo. Just  _ try it.” _

  
It was like she was moving on autopilot after that. She followed after Hope wordlessly, letting herself get completely consumed by her thirst. First, she reached down to the woman on the ground, caressing her hair as she mumbled incoherently. Then, she caught sight of her vein, pulsating,  _ screaming _ at her to be ravaged. And finally, Josie was ripping into the woman, ignoring, or more accurately, relishing in her cries of anguish, as she completely tore her body apart, limb from limb, even as Hope tried her best to stop her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ripper josie has entered the chat. 
> 
> let me know what you thought pretty please :)
> 
> my lovely friend made a playlist for this fic, check it out here 
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/track/7eN3lGwu6SSmwYGH9PlpYa?si=NiY6YB7BT0qNgcHoOlNRpw


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw//  
> blood and gore

The alley ran red with blood. Everywhere Josie looked-red, red,  _ red.  _ She took a breath, trying to ease the burning in her throat, trying to ease her mind, that kept telling her,  _ begging _ her to suck up every last drop. 

_ Drip, drip, drip.  _

An arm hung from the top of the dumpster, carelessly disregarded, leaking on the cement. The sound drove her insane, each drip on the pavement ringing in her ears, a constant reminder of what she had just done. 

It was a scene from the goriest horror movie. Body parts tossed about, gore painting the brick. Bile rose up Josie’s throat- she tried to swallow it back down, but the feeling was too intense. She ended up puking all over her favorite shoes. Not like it mattered anyways, they were covered in remnants of the woman she had torn apart just moments before. 

The more the woman screamed, the more Josie had enjoyed it. Her usual disposition was quickly lost in the bloodlust, and she didn’t know who she was anymore. But one thing was abundantly clear-

Josie Saltzman was a ripper. 

Hope looked around wildly, waiting for Josie to say something, anything about what had just happened. As much as she had wanted Josie to feed, to experience how delicious human blood was, she was not expecting this.

“Jo?” She came up behind her girlfriend, touching her softly on the small of her back. Josie immediately jerked away from the contact, her head falling helplessly in her hands. She took one long, deep breath, sucking in all the air her lungs could muster, before letting out the most heartbreaking wail. Sobs racked her small frame, leaving her shaking, broken, as she collapsed to her knees on the blood-soaked ground. 

Hope knew how she was feeling, probably more than anyone, but found it nearly impossible to be compassionate. Her emotions were completely shut down, her humanity gone. Even if she did hold a soft spot in her heart just for Josie, expressing her emotions was still quite difficult. 

Hope muttered a silencing spell, knowing her previous one must be wearing off right now. The last thing she needed was someone hearing Josie’s cries and coming to her aid-Hope really wasn’t in the mood to compel another stupid human tonight. 

Josie’s throat was raw, burning with every sob she let out. She wasn’t sure whether the pain was from the crying or from her intense craving for even more blood, but she didn’t want to know. All she knew was that she was a  _ monster _ . 

“There’s nothing left for me.” Josie whimpered into her hands. She felt helpless-Lizzie was a mess, her mom was busy being the new headmaster, her dad was brutally murdered, and her girlfriend was a bloodthirsty vampire with no humanity. What was the point? She had become her own greatest nightmare. 

And that scared her shitless. Her composure, her sanity began to slowly slip through her fingers. She tore at her scalp, digging the nails a little too deep, not realizing her own strength. “What the hell have I DONE?” Josie roared, the question hanging in the air between the pair, both too shocked to answer. “Seriously, what the fuck...I-I can’t deal with this. I’m a fucking monster, I-I-” She couldn’t catch her breath, couldn’t continue on. The horror seeped into her bones as she looked wildly around, trying to find anything to ground her. 

“I need you to calm down.” Hope approached her girlfriend, cautiously, not wanting to send her down into a spiral of self-hatred, even if it was too late for that at this point.

“I can’t, I can’t, I can’t.” Josie repeated over and over again, her own personal mantra. The despair she felt was agonizing, way too intense for her to handle. Her head was flooded with too many thoughts, dark thoughts-she couldn’t keep up. It was maddening. She looked at Hope, eyes wide and filled with tears threatening to break loose once again, a silent plea written across her delicate features. “Please... _ Hope _ .” 

“Please what, Jo?” Hope could sense the desperation-it was written all over Josie’s face. But truth be told, she had no idea what to do with it, how to handle this many emotions, when she felt so numb to the world. 

“Please, make it stop.” Josie choked out between sobs, now clutching at Hope’s jacket. The world was spinning around her, a swirl of red and black. “Make it stop, Hope. It  _ hurts.”  _ She cried out, so loud that Hope’s ears began to ring. 

And then all the pieces fell together in Hope’s brain. If a cartoonish light bulb appeared over her head at that moment, she wouldn’t have been surprised. Hope crouched down so she was eye level with Josie, staring deep into brown orbs, that still gave off a hint of darkness. “I can help you,” Hope began, placing both her hands on Josie’s knees to steady herself. “But you need to let me help you.”

Josie’s eyes flashed with a million questions, not really wanting to know the answer to a single one. Hope was unhinged, playing  _ games _ -twisted, demented games-with the residents of Mystic Falls. She wasn’t sure she wanted the tribrid’s help, especially since their sire bond was the whole reason why Josie had fed in the first place. But she was desperate-she could practically feel her heart breaking in her chest, the pain becoming too unbearable to withstand. “How?” She questioned quietly. 

“Turn it off.” Hope stated bluntly. “Just turn it off and everything will go away.” Josie looked at her frantically, not believing what her girlfriend was saying. She was not an emotionless psychopath, she wore her heart on her sleeve, displayed proudly. Sure, she had been broken more times than she could count-everyone took advantage of the girl that cared too much-but it was worth it. And now Hope was asking her-no,  _ commanding _ her-to shut off everything that made her human. 

“I-I can’t, I-” 

“It’s what I want you to do.” Hope ran bloodstained fingers over Josie’s cheek, wiping away a stray tear. Josie leaned into the touch, the warmth that radiated off Hope’s palm, chasing any feeling of comfort she could come by. “Just turn it off.” Their eyes met, and everything clicked right into place. Josie was no longer in control-Hope was. 

And the metaphorical switch in her brain just flipped. 

…

“Babe, I’m bored.” Josie whined, tapping her foot impatiently. Hope had dragged her to a Timberwolves football game, not just any game, their homecoming-or as Hope so lovingly referred to it-an all-you-can-eat-buffet. 

“Halftime is soon, love.” Hope put a firm hand on Josie’s leg, stopping her movements. “Be patient.” A wicked grin spread across her cheeks as she went to plant a kiss on the corner of Josie’s lips. 

The past few weeks had been a whirlwind. Hope so carefully taught Josie everything she had learned-from the compelling, to the best ways to dispose of the bodies, drained of blood. Hope was pretty sure they would have to take a vacation soon, or Mystic Falls was sure to become a ghost town. Josie was  _ constantly  _ thirsty, and messy. More often than not, Hope had to spend the hours after their killing sprees cleaning up after her girlfriend, scrubbing dark alleyways to rid them from the blood and gore that came along with Josie tearing them apart. 

But Hope secretly loved it. It was a side of Josie she hadn’t seen since the black magic consumed her heart-Dark Josie had laid dormant for a year, until now. Hope loved the darkness that consumed her as soon as she set her sights on her prey, the mischievous grin that spread across her blood-stained lips when she chased them down, chuckling at their horrifying screams. 

A loud buzzer startled Hope out of her thoughts, signifying the game had reached half time. The Timberwolves were ahead by fourteen, and the crowd was abuzz with excited students, as the players put on a fine display of their masculinity, chest bumping as they headed to the locker room. Hope stood up, outstretching her hand to her girlfriend. “C’mon. Let’s eat.”

Josie smirked, intertwining her fingers with Hope’s as they carefully made their way through the crowd. They had to be stealthy, but the opportunity to kill around this many people was exhilarating. Both of them had spent their time murdering in dark alleys in the middle of the night, where no one was likely to find them-the monotony of it all becoming incredibly boring. But this?

This was a  _ rush. _

Hope led them under the bleachers, crouching in the shadows. “You know some horny teenagers will come down here to make out.” 

“Mmm, sounds like a good idea.” Josie purred, nipping at Hope’s neck in excitement. If anything, her sudden change in heart had made her want Hope even  _ more- _ she could care less if they got caught. Josie had made the Salvatore School (and Mystic Falls) her own personal sex paradise, taking Hope in every which way she could. 

“God, you’re so distracting.” Hope lightly pushed Josie away, not really wanting to stop, but she was so damn _hungry_. 

Sure enough, two students made their way under the bleachers, crashing into the poles, feverishly kissing one another. They failed to notice Hope and Josie lurking, their eyes darkening at the sight. Josie’s head was elsewhere, running her hands up Hope’s thigh, obviously affected by the display in front of her. “Later, babe.” Hope warned, her voice a harsh whisper. 

Josie huffed, but then made her way over to the couple, as quietly as possible. She tapped the girl on the shoulder, who let out a frightened squeak, whipping around to see Josie smiling down at her. “Aw, sorry to interrupt the fun.” She teased, twirling a strand of the girl’s hair around her finger. 

“I-I, who a-are you?” The girl stuttered as her boyfriend sat speechless behind her, obviously intimidated by Josie’s threatening tone. 

“No need for introductions, sweetheart.” Hope appeared behind the boyfriend, tilting his head to the side to get better access to his neck and the vein that was so deliciously pulsating. “It makes it easier when you don’t know who we are.”

“Makes what eas-” The boyfriend began before letting out a blood-curdling scream as Hope sank her fangs into his flesh. Josie muttered a silencing spell, before turning her attention to his girlfriend. The color was rapidly draining from her face, and she was left trembling, too shocked to move. 

“You’re no fun.” Josie pouted, crossing her arms to her chest. She loved the chase, the screams-it was all wildly entertaining to the ripper that resided in her. She gave the girl a light shove, willing her to run, to do anything besides just stand there. Finally, the girl began to sprint away, heaving sobs racking her body as she ran. Josie gave a sly wink to Hope before giving into the hunt.

It was wildly reckless, but the crowd didn’t seem to notice the girl-too preoccupied by the homecoming spirit to care. She whipped around constantly, checking to see if Josie was still following her, eyes widening when she saw the ripper gaining ground, getting closer by the second. The horror of it all must have been clouding her mind, her judgement was completely off as she made her way to the abandoned parking lot, away from the students, or anyone that could possibly help her. Josie had to laugh-humans were just so  _ stupid _ when they were about to die. The horror movie logic was true-everyone completely lost all their common sense when adrenaline was coursing through their veins. Their minds always told them to run, but didn’t give them any sense of direction, or purpose, and more often than not, they always ran right into the arms of their attacker. Josie zoomed out in front of the girl, halting her in her tracks with firm hands grasping her quivering shoulders. 

“Nice effort.” Josie praised, running her nails down the girl’s arm, leaving goosebumps in her wake. “I would give it a solid B.” 

“W-why are you doing this?” The girl cried, her words coming out scratchy from her attempted escape. 

“You humans are all the same, I swear.” Josie began pacing in front of the girl, carefully calculating her next move. “You always say the same shit before you die. It’s getting kinda boring if I’m being honest.”

“D-die? Oh, no. Please d-don’t.” The girl pleaded, dropping to her knees in a dramatic display. 

Like that would save her. 

“Your begging won’t save you, sweetheart.” Josie crouched down, putting a firm hand on the girl’s chin, causing her to look into Josie’s eyes as her veins began to darken, fangs poking out between her lips. Josie leaned forward, brushing her lips ever-so-slightly against the shell of her ear. “Nothing will save you.”

The girl’s screams fell on deaf ears, as Josie fed, painting the ground beneath her a deep shade of crimson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one was really fun to write.
> 
> i'm sure y'all noticed the parallels between this and elena turning her humanity off. 
> 
> would you rather see more of hope and josie ravaging mystic falls next chapter (and maybe some smut) OR the backstory to how they both turned?


End file.
